Making a Music Video as an Independent Artist: A Checklist
If you’re a seasoned independent artist then you already know, it takes quite a bit of your own investments to make things happen for yourself. Whether it’s a tour, single promotion, hiring a team, etc! Making a music video is no different! It is also an important piece of content when promoting your own music. Whether it’s a lyric video, a performance video, or a full-blown story-boarded video, luckily, the world is your oyster when it comes to the kind of content you want to create. However, if it’s your first video, how do you know what you need? How Can you make sure you did everything you were supposed to do?
Thankfully in the time of the ever-evolving technological world we live in, it is getting easier and easier to DIY your own music video. There are some keys elements in creating a video though so, we created a checklist for you to set you up for success, no matter if your budget is $0 or$10,000!
Clear Concept and/or a Storyboard: What is your music video about?
Aesthetic
Storyline
A run down of specific shots you want in the video
2. Personnel: Who is going to help you make this video come to life?
Videographer + extra camera operator
Actors/Bandmates/Extras
Hair & Makeup Artist
Stylist
Art Director (someone who makes everything look cool!)
3. Location: Where are you filming?
4. Schedule: How long will you be filming in each location and what will you be filming?
5. BUDGET. Your budget determines how big or how simple your concept will be. This seems obvious but definitely needs saying.
Do you need ALL of these things? Probably not. However should you be considering creating a music video and you’re not sure where to start, this would be the place! If you don’t already, create a Pinterest account and create a board specifically for your music video. How you want it to look, inspiration from other videos, photo shoots, whatever! It will help you organize your thoughts and figure out the best move for you!
Whether you’re shooting a video on your phone or on an actual camera, your video will be exactly what you need it to be so, have fun!